Page 27 of Bewitching the Wolf

“Why is that so surprising?” Otis ignores the fact that I’m desperately wiping bits of pastry from my jeans. “You got him off the cigarettes.”

“Big deal,” I huff. “He just swapped them out for vaping.”

“He respects you, Tip, and your skills as a wixen.” Otis’s green features are almost pleading.

“Yeah, right,” I grunt. “All he does is tell me how disgusting my smoothies are.”

“You did a great job with Arlo,” Otis points out.

“That was completely different,” I snap.

Arlo is a minotaur. I helped him produce sperm to sell to humans. Sounds bad, I know, but it was totally professional, I just fed him the right nutrients. The apocalypse wreaked havoc with humans’ reproductive systems, and as a result, conception became incredibly difficult for them. Monsters, on the other hand, stayed virile, and some species, like minotaurs, were the most prolific breeders of all. Word spread to humans, and their researchers found that an enzyme in minotaur sperm could improve human fertility. Arlo happens to be a premium enzyme-producing minotaur, and he got wealthy providing copious amounts of his cum to humans. I kept him at maximum production levels with my elixirs and potions.

It’s a whole other story, but in a nutshell, when Arlo fell in love with a human, Sammy Buggins, he stopped selling his sperm, and I went to work at Digger’s instead while I finished my wixen training. And then Sammy got pregnant to Arlo, and now they’re both hiding out with the wolves on level three so the humans can’t abduct Sammy for research.

That aside, using my skills on Jax is a whole different ball game. There was never any chemistry between me and Arlo.

“It will be exactly the same, except instead of smoothies to increase sperm production, you’ll be mixing potions to stop nicotine addiction,” Otis reasons. “Oh, and something to help calm his wolf as well.”

Calm his wolf?!

“Wixens don’t work with wolves!” I know I must sound hysterical, and probably rude, too, with Traggar sitting right there.

“Well that’s all about to change, isn’t it Traggar,” my Aunt says sweetly. My gaze flies between them.

Traggar clears his throat. “In return for your help, Miss Honeywell, we are offering you and your aunt the Silver Book of Runes to study.”

My eyes bug wide. This is indeed a coup. Being able to combine the spells in both books would very likely accelerate the white magic, and our wixen powers. It’s an unprecedented opportunity..

I am speechless and my aunt coos. “Isn’t that wonderful news, Tippy-Anna!”

I nod, stammer, “Y-yes, I-I think so— I just don’t know if I am up to the task.”

If only they knew why.

“Of course you are, darling,” my aunt breezes. “There are so many herbal combinations in the Wixen Manuals, you’ll come up with something that works for Jax. You have an intuitive knack for these things.”

I frown, unable to admit to what is going on between me and Jax that could ruin everything my aunt is so rapturous about. “How do we ensure he’ll take them?” I hedge. “I mean, we can’t force Jax to come to Digger’s three times a day to drink my smoothies or whatever.”

“We’ve thought of that,” Traggar responds. “I’ve organized a den in Wolftown where you can both stay for the duration of his detox.”

“A den? Just me and Jax?” I squawk.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have separate rooms.” Traggar smiles reassuringly. I don’t find it all reassuring.

“Level three is really quite civilized, honey,” my aunt chips in. “I’ve grown to like it since I’ve been going to check on Sammy’s pregnancy.”

She casts an almost coquettish glance at Traggar, who throws back his head and laughs. “That is a compliment indeed, coming from you, Felicia.”

Dear goddess, is my aunt flirting with this wolfman?

“Another positive is that you’ll get to catch up with Arlo and Sammy,” Otis adds cheerily. “And it’s only for three days. You’ll be back here before you know it.”

My stress levels spike again. “Three days! I can’t achieve anything in three days.”

“That’s all we have,” Traggar responds grimly. “The mission has to go ahead next week. The runes are aligned. Which means Jax’s detox has to start on Friday and end on Monday morning.”

“Friday is the day after tomorrow,” I gulp out.